In this new universe, there was plenty to see. Plenty to explore, and plenty that never would be seen. They'd found that individually pretty quickly, climbing over the terrain.
Why individually? Because they had been scattered, been left alone. As they did not age, they wondered for a while what was happening. As civilisations rose and fell around them, they began to accept that their immortality meant they could only be one thing – some were indifferent, some were distraught that they had become these things thanks to a simple game. Over the years, they took up their roles, and worked together rarely but effectively.
It began to finalise itself, to unite under their direction. The country-like cities grew up - Crimson, Rust, Bronze, Golden, Hunt, Jade, Balance, Sapphire, Equine, Carnival, Harmony, Tyrian, Gambit, Fire, Quartz and Emerald. Two patron gods for each city.
Thirty-two gods reigned over the new world.
A small house in the middle of the innermost circle of the Golden City was home to a small family and an argument that could tear them apart with desperate finality.
"We have to take her to the Temple of the Elder Gemini!" a troll woman shouted at her matesprit, who wailed a little and clutched her child – barely four sweeps – to her.
"She just….she just…gets upset, that's all! Marrae, please!" she protested, and the child struggled against her. The first woman looked down at the skinny tealblood child. Her child. They'd known since she was a grub that this was true, but denying it and her placement would surely only anger the gods.
"Metisa's psionics don't work, Eikino. She isn't a grub anymore. She should have been taken when she was a grub…I'm sorry." She touched her arm to show her apology. "She isn't….They will never work without prayer, and maybe another temple – maybe the Temple of the Reviver, or the Temple of the Braided, or the Temple of the Heiress or any of the Life Temples could aid her, but in the service of the Elder Gemini she will be taken care of. How many things has she set fire to already?"
Eikino wailed loudly, but Metisa walked over to take Marrae's hand, and nodded. "I will serve the gods as best as I can," the little voice piped, and Marrae could have sworn at that moment that she heard her own blood pusher break in two. Most trolls and humans chose a god to serve at this age or older, and then they would spend a year in the temple before returning to their hives with the symbol of their god, and served that god for the rest of their life. Marrae served the Justice, while her matesprit served the Heiress.
But those who had to be protected went to the temple for life. They stayed there and their quadrants would usually be those inside the temple – in other words, she would never see her little wriggled again unless she was cured, and the chances of that were obvious. Pale violet tears began to slip down her cheeks as she hugged the little girl, whose one vertical horn nudged as it always did against her jaw. She wouldn't see her grow much taller. Eikino's arms wrapped around them both and the hum of her working psionics filled the air as a blanket wrapped around the small family, huddled together for what could be the last time.
A few days later, arrangements having been made with the temple, two cloaked figures stood inside the Temple of the Elder Gemini in the main part of the City. Marrae drew her own 'anonymity' cloak further over her face, the grey material hiding the amethyst 'Libra' sign on the silver chain around her neck as she took her child by the hand towards a small carved door. Metisa looked around with interest at the sweeping lines of red and blue that crossed the temple like lightning scars, and at the black robes threaded at the edges with gold that the devotees around them wore. A human woman in gold robes walked over to them, tilting her head.
"You are Metisa Joulin?" she asked the child, who nodded, teal sparks running down her arms as she began to panic slightly. Marrae held her close, quieting her for a minute, and then the human woman took Metisa by the hand.
"I quite see…Hers are like the Elder's, He Who Protects, the Stormbringer, the Self-Wrecker. It will be an honour to care for your child." Her eyes stared straight into Marrae's, and Marrae nodded, purple tears gathering in her eyes as Metisa was led behind the door.
Metisa kicked her legs as she sat on the little chair in the room where the lady had led her, saying that it was a test. Of what, she hadn't been told, and it annoyed her immensely. Mommy had taken her away from Mama, and then the human lady had taken her away from Mommy. She wouldn't see them again, probably, and if she hadn't cried over it already, she would be screaming and wailing. But it might be a test to see how well she could sit still. Her psionics had burned a few holes in her cloak already, so the lady would be cross, and then she might tell Mommy and Mama…
A hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey, lil' girl! What's up?"
This lady was wearing an 'anonymity' cloak as well, and her horns were pretty and straight. The slight tone to her skin, and the colour of her tongue tipped Metisa off to the fact that she was also a tealblood – like Mama. It was comforting, and she smiled a little at the woman.
"I'm stayin' here…They said I have to go through a test."
"Aw, sucks! Bet you're gonna pass straight through, though! What's your name?" The woman's hair covered her eyes, but her smile was kind. Metisa fidgeted.
"Metisa. Metisa Joulin…"
"No way! A Joulin? Man, I think my lil' sister knows your mom, then!" She grinned. "Small world! So, Eikino's your mom, right?"
Metisa smiled, but shook her head. "No, she's my mama…What's your name?"
"Aw, that's a secret…Hey, babe! Where've you been?" The woman turned to the door, and a second later a man – or a boy, around the same age as the woman, who could perhaps be eight sweeps or something along those lines – walked through the door. His cloak was a gentle gold, his hair fluffy over his set of double horns, and his eyes were also hidden by his hair. His smile was wide and kind, but the sharpness of it made it seem almost wicked.
"Hey!" His voice sounded strange, but he grinned wide at Metisa. "You're….fuck….I know, I know, Tulip!" He turned towards the woman, quite obviously agitated, and then he looked at the burnt parts of Metisa's cloak, which made her feel ashamed. "Right! New girl! Awethome!" He hugged her heavily, and she nearly fell off the chair, but hugged him back, a warm feeling surrounding her. Her psionics crackled around them, and blue and red energy crackled against her own, just as broken up as hers had always been. Her eyes went wide at the feel of a similar energy, and the woman smiled at them both.
"Aw, is she a lil' bee too? Great! She'll have a good time here!" She pressed a gentle kiss to the man's forehead, and the two shared a gentle smile.
And then the room was empty, the little lines of energy vanished. Metisa gaped, and a tiny weight in her lap caused her to look down, seeing twelve or so bees asleep there. She felt suddenly very calm, despite everything, and then the door opened – on the other side of the room. Where the man had entered, there was no door, just a wall with a golden sweeping Gemini symbol. There hadn't even been a door there in the first place…
The human woman looked down at the bees in her lap, and back up at Metisa before she fell to her knees, shock clear on her face.
"You are blessed, you are truly a child of the gods! Hail to thee!" she wailed, and the bees woke up, buzzing around Metisa's horns, as teal sparks began to run up and down the chair as the girl panicked.
"Wh-what—"
"The Self-Wrecker has blessed you! The Elder Dragonborn has been in your presence! Our Lady of Libra, she who is his love has …The Gods, child! That is your test, to have the gods visit you, to give blessing. No-one usually passes this…"
She hurried the child away, the bees following behind. "That was the Sanctuary, child. Only the gods can enter when the door is locked – and only I have the key. We shall see about a hive – a traditional one, of course – for these creatures." A bee moved to rest on Metisa's curved horn, and the others began to follow suit, although a few kept flying. Somehow, they made her feel better, as though they were looking after her.
Mituna kissed Latula happily. " 'Nother bee! Thee, told you! I know who the kid ith!" He laughed, and a swarm of bees momentarily swirled around them. Latula smiled at him and left a black lipstick mark on his cheek.
"That's fantastic, babe! She's adorable, just like lil' me…So, you going to make her your high priestess or your Descending?"
"Dethending! The'll live twithe ath long and then the'll be…an…uh….what'th it called….fuck…." Mituna lost his smile, scratching at his head as he tried to think of the word. "Uh….fuck! I know thith!"
"S'either demigod or saint, babe. Or minor god, maybe? Wow! You really like her!" Latula wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek. Mituna grinned widely again, hands shaking as he held them up.
"Minor god! That'th the fucker! But thhe hath to live out the life, firtht! Cauthe thtupid Wind and Thhade thaid we got to choothe thome now!" He pouted, and Latula blinked.
"What? Jo-Bert? Seriously, he needs to calm down on his powers…But looks like Damz might have arranged her birth…."
"Thtupid bitchy Megido…." Mituna muttered, frowning, before another kiss to the cheek calmed him.
"Don't you worry, babe, she probs meant well by it. You know she's been behaving herself lately…Anyway, you like the kid, yeah?"
"Yeah! Thhe'th gonna be Goddethh of Beeth! Or more awethome thhit!" Mituna grinned wide again. "C'mon, Tulip! Let'th go tell Loth!"
"Sure thing, babe!"
As Metisa had been chosen by Mituna as a minor goddess, another god was watching her, red-painted eyes narrowed as she glared into the red crystal. It had been her who had arranged the meeting of Marrae and Eikino, but the psionics had gone wrong somewhere in the breeding, and now Damara had needed to give up that particular child to another god.
Never mind. She had several reserves. Mituna was not the only god who could have children dedicated to him. If it had not been for the instant placement of Metisa under Mituna and therefore Latula's protection at birth, Damara would have had a new High Priestess for her Inner Order, once she had the child speaking her language.
Ah well. She had made sure that there were other options…
And this guy, again! She rolled her eyes at him as he pushed aside the red cloth that covered the entrance to the cave.
"Sup, babe. Vwhat you up to here?" Cronus peered into the gloom, trying to spot Damara. She hissed at her kismesis, covering up the crystal in front of her with a cloth. Like he would ever try to speak her language…
"Nothing. You not welcome. Go away."
The Hopeweaver smiled at her, showing off his sharp teeth. "Aw, don't be like that…You knowv, cahoots sounds fun to me. Vwhat are you actually doing? Messing vwith fate?"
"Do not talk of things you do not know of. I am Fate, here on this world. Go, before I destroy your city with a whim." His arms slid around her shoulders, and she knew he was grinning that wide, awful smile.
"Oh, you're so harsh….Fine, but I'm at least tellin' the others you're up to somethin' nasty an'vwicious." He pressed a mocking kiss to her cheek and was gone, faint gold dust in the air the only sign he had ever been there at all.
Asshole. Damara clicked her fingers, the surroundings changing as she appeared five years in the past. Now, to check on her other projects….
A girl with blonde hair and white robes stood in a shimmering hall of light, smiling as she saw Damara –dressed lightly, to put it nicely – appear in an inn five years ago, watching a couple sitting happily in the corner, chattering away. So she was arranging things again? How very predictable. Rose always had managed to get along with Damara, with them both seeing what was happening almost everywhere. She had very early on bestowed her with the red crystal that Damara used to watch over people, as Damara could be trusted to be discreet.
She looked up as floating pink material caught her eye, and saw her….mother? Daughter? Ectobiology had never been too clear on that point. Roxy skipped up to her, a glass of something fruity and fizzy in hand.
"Rosey! Rosey, did you hear what Mituna's done? Or see?"
"Well, yes, I did. John did say we needed to involve ourselves this era more than before….My High Priest wants to retire, after all. I might as well grant his wishes." Indeed the troll was old, although he had quite a few sweeps left ahead of him. In the two sweeps left of service that Rose had planned for him, he could raise up a successor - and Damara had probably arranged a good one to take over from the old troll.
Roxy giggled. "I have a new bunch of lil' party people! I threw a party in Sapphire at my temple,an' they joined up!"
Roxy not only had a temple, she had a veritable cult which lived in a large house in each city, where they would rest during the day, become close as a family and then throw horrendously large parties once a month, and attend other parties. They were known by different names, but Roxy herself occasionally went to these parties, her followers fawning over her, and some would be blessed with a week-long glow that surrounded them if her whim led her to it. In the Quartz city, their house was ornate, and statues of Roxy herself or of sleeping cats could be found dotted in the areas around it. It was only slightly smaller and less grand than her temple. The group would keep cats habitually, and the one in Quartz had a direct descendant of one of Roxy's own Mutinis. It was considered lucky to have a four-eyed cat sit on your lap, in Quartz, or even approach you.
Roxy swirled around, grinning. "And they threw it fabulously! We even had blueberry champagne, Rosey, you should attend next time!"
Rose sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. "I've forsworn it for this month. Last time, I was so hungover I couldn't figure out how to be rid of the hangover itself. Although, if you would, please drop a bottle of blueberry over to Horuss himself. Say it is a gift from me, and ask him to meet me tomorrow. I need to discuss trade with him. One of our sacred Maplehooves has given birth to a foal, and I could do with a new automaton."
"You jus' wanna make sure he doesn't miss Johnny's memo, don't ya?"
Rose raised an eyebrow. "A horse from his temple that is also from the Temple of the Lightgazer going up to a child would secure a double blessing – and as I'm sure Equius would happily visit the child as well, that would be good. I will not be outdone by Mituna and Latula, after all." She winked at Roxy, a small smile on her face. "Game on, Roxy. Let's show them how mystical Quartz can be."